Results are in! 2017 Business of Healthy Employees Survey Report

Each year since 2012, Virgin Pulse and Human Capital Media (HCM) have partnered to gain insight into wellbeing benefits programs. Almost 2,000 HR professionals and business executives were surveyed to provide you with the information you need to optimize your wellbeing program and make the business case for investment.

Now in its fifth year, the Business of Healthy Employees survey report reveals important trends among employers offering wellbeing solutions. For the first time in the survey history, organizations that made the business case for wellbeing solutions did so to become an employer of choice over improving corporate culture and reducing health care costs. Organizations are recognizing the value wellbeing programs play in recruitment and retention.

For the first time,increasing engagement is a top driver for offering wellbeing programs, equal to reducing health care costs.

Important trends among employers involve increasing employee engagement, embracing a holistic view of wellbeing and becoming an employer of choice.

Almost all surveyed expanded their wellbeing programs in 2017, as organizations sought to tackle holistic wellbeing.

For the first time in this survey’s history, mental health programs topped the list as the most popular offering, surpassing physical activity.

Wellbeing programs have become an essential part of an employee’s benefits package. In the past year, organizations have expanded their program offerings and seen improvements in engagement, recruiting and retention. Many organizations plan to increase program spending in the next three years. This validates the value organizations see from their wellbeing program investments in addressing key business outcomes.

Many employers offer wellbeing benefits programs because they believe a healthy workforce drives employee engagement. For a wellbeing program to be successful long-term, it’s important to include a measurement strategy that can tie wellbeing efforts directly to business outcomes. Organizations that are satisfied with their measurement efforts have been especially successful at making the business case for wellbeing programs on improving employee engagement and becoming an employer of choice. By providing stakeholders with return on investment analytics, you’re able to prove that when you invest into the wellbeing of your employees, you’re investing into the success of your business. This results in creating a magnetic company culture and empowered workforce full of happier, healthier and more productive employees.

The results of the survey reveal that successful programs include measurement capabilities that can tie wellbeing efforts to business outcomes, including increased productivity, decreased health care costs and improved corporate culture. Wellbeing programs have a great impact on organizations and play a large role in increasing productivity and helping the organization become an employer of choice.